Editorial: Now, about that Russian relationship, Mr. President

Tuesday

Feb 14, 2017 at 4:50 PM

Well, that didn't take long.

On Monday night the current president asked for and received the resignation of his national security adviser, Michael Flynn. The stated reason was that Flynn had "inadvertently" provided "incomplete information," specifically to Vice President Mike Pence, regarding pre-inaugural phone conversations with Russia's ambassador to the United States. Flynn initially said the subject of sanctions then being imposed on Moscow by the Obama administration for allegedly interfering in the 2016 national election never came up.

Translation: It now appears Flynn lied. He embarrassed a boss who went on TV to defend him. Understandably, that boss wasn't happy. Now he's unemployed.

First, this is no great loss. Lt. Gen. Flynn may have his strengths, but doubts about temperamental fitness always dogged him. He was prone to wild conspiracy theories. His questionable judgment was evident through some very irresponsible tweets. His rant against Hillary Clinton at the Republican National Convention last year — leading chants of "Lock her up!" — was conduct unbecoming.

In his 24 days as national security adviser — a new record for shortest tenure, by the way — Flynn's competence also was challenged, with the New York Times reporting his unfamiliarity with Congress' and the State Department's shared decision-making with the White House and even with how to call up the National Guard in an emergency. As the former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency — from which he was fired in 2014 by a previous president — surely he knew his talk with the Russian ambassador was likely being recorded.

Ultimately the Attorney General's Office contacted the White House about the gap between what the public was being told and what they knew of multiple conversations, concerned that Flynn had opened himself to blackmail by Moscow. So who's being called potentially "crooked" and "reckless" for putting national security at "extremely high risk" — all accusations he directed at Clinton — now if not Flynn himself? What's that they say about those who live in glass houses?

Meanwhile, the White House seemed less bothered by the substance of Flynn's alleged sins — perhaps illegal under the Logan Act, which forbids private citizens from negotiating with a foreign government to undercut the policies of the sitting administration — than by the leaks that brought them to light, which the president called "the real story."

There are many "real stories" here. One is that not even a month into the 45th president's term his White House has already been plagued by scandal, lawsuits, personnel problems, quarrels with other world leaders and PR snafus. But seven hours before Flynn's departure, Kellyanne Conway told America he had the "full confidence" of the president. All White House starts are rocky at first, but in terms of not knowing what they're doing, this one may be in a class by itself. Beyond that, just what kind of role model is a president who seems so unfamiliar with the truth himself and so untroubled by his repeated violations of it? Is it a surprise he'd surround himself with much the same character traits?

Meanwhile, anyone else notice the news Tuesday of Russia's deployment of a new cruise missile, in apparent violation of its 1987 arms treaty with the U.S.? Hmm, what would make them think they can get away with that? Perceptions of the past president's weakness? Perhaps. How about what they see as an exceedingly friendly White House now?

Whatever, we'd certainly hope this Republican Congress is as eager to engage its oversight role with this GOP White House as it was with the Democratic administration before it. It absolutely is fair to ask what the current president knew and when and how far this relationship with the Russians goes.